


there's a time to be born and a time to die (and somewhere they collide)

by notearchiver



Category: The Last of Us (Video Games)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Regret
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:06:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26952601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notearchiver/pseuds/notearchiver
Summary: He will never truly die, but maybe Catalina Island will give her a chance to bury him. Or: Abby works to let it go.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4
Collections: Trick or Treat Exchange 2020





	there's a time to be born and a time to die (and somewhere they collide)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sumi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sumi/gifts).



> Title from "Let Me Drown" by We As Human.

They've been at Catalina Island barely three weeks when the question comes. It's dinner, and like with the WLF, everyone gathers in the mess hall. "Everyone" is a much smaller group at the Catalina base than Seattle, but the long tables crammed with people and a room filled with chatter about the day's events is a familiarity Abby appreciates.

Mack, an older man with decades of service to the Fireflies but even newer to the Island than she and Lev are is the one that brings it up. "Heard you're from the Salt Lake group. You ever find out what happened to the smuggler?"

Abby forces herself to swallow the soup in her mouth. In all likelihood Mack doesn't even know who she is, that she's Jerry Anderson's daughter, that she was at the hospital. He doesn't know shit about her except that someone said that a lifetime ago she was in Utah.

"No idea." The golf club swings in her vision, and Abby takes another spoonful of soup.

"Well if he shows up around here looking for directions he'll be lucky if I only point him to the nearest den of clickers," Mack says with a laugh.

A horde of runners far too close, Joel barring the door, swinging her onto the back of his horse. Joel not caring who she was, that they had just met. A far better person than she could ever hope to be.

"He'd probably take them out without a problem. The stories I've heard make it sound like not even death could stop him. I definitely wouldn't try it." Joel's damaged face, then Ellie's damaged hand flickers in the corner of her vision. She gathers up her bowl and stands, exhausted. She's tired of starting wars. Maybe for once she can end one.


End file.
